Loki stood between Hogun and the Svartalfar king, studying the table in the middle of the room. Around them hung several map depicting the different realms. Right now, the table depicted part of Svartalfheim – its north-eastern island where the main Aesir incursion was taking place, and the closest mainland area.
Svartalfheim was a curious realm, with curious customs. For instance, the 'king' they'd sent was a woman, dusky of skin and with vibrant red hair. When she'd arrived in Jotunheim with her entourage, Loki had discreetly inquired if she'd like to be addressed as 'queen,' which had amused her and offended her advisor, a tall, pale man with a severe expression.
'King Youko will be fine, or just Youko, since we'll be fighting together," she'd replied, which had drawn a disapproving noise from the advisor. "Rebellions tend to do best without all the formalities getting in the way," she'd ended, glancing back at her advisor with a mostly suppressed grin. It sounded like she had some personal experience in this area.
Her party consisted of her painfully earnest advisor, some warriors(or possibly generals), a diffident young man who might have been a secretary, and King Youko's demons. The advisor, who seemed entirely without a sense of humour, had returned to Youko's kingdom (Kei, if Loki remembered right) to rule in her absence. The warriors, too, had returned to help with the plan even now unfolding on the island kingdom of Tai. The young secretary was around somewhere in the Jotun keep. And Youko's demons were never far, for they apparently lived in her shadow when not needed.
Loki had his own demon, he reflected wryly, although he hadn't known that Hogun's Svartalfar pedigree leaned in that direction.
Loki had only a passing, academic knowledge of Svartalfheim; they were ruled by twelve kings, each keeping to his(or, apparently, her) lands. Some Svartalfar were immortal, some were not, and they had a truly odd way of conceiving children. He had never personally been there before Hogun had arranged the meeting with three of the kings, including Youko. The other two kings had been older, taller, and male.
"Why did they send you?" Loki found himself asking now. He'd wondered before, but had never been rude enough to ask flat out – Svartalfheim's support was a boon, and they were not allies he wanted to alienate with a misplaced word. Youko seemed fairly easygoing though, especially for a king.
"Instead of a man, you mean?" she glanced at him.
"Er-" Loki actually floundered.
She quirked her lips in amusement and looked back at the map. "There are several good reasons, actually. The island, here, is Tai," she nodded at the island. "The king of Tai, that was the white-haired man, knows the land well, and he is a great general. Of all of us, he can arrange the defense of his lands the most effectively. En lies across the sea from Tai, so support for Tai in the form of troops and supplies comes from En. If Tai falls, En will be next to face the invaders, and so the king of En also remains. My kingdom, Kei, lies further south. So for now I can better afford to govern by proxy than they can. The kings of En and Tai also have more experience with the logistics of fighting large-scale, drawn out actions. My experience with war is mostly rebellions and a coup."
"A coup," Loki echoed, raising an eyebrow at her.
"It's a long story," she shrugged with a wry twist to her mouth. "Also, I didn't grow up in Kei. I grew up on Earth."
"Earth. Midgard?" Loki asked, surprised.
"Mm, and not too long ago. So while I don't have specific knowledge of how Tony Stark is doing what he's doing, I have a good framework of reference for what he's doing, and how best to integrate anything useful for joint efforts between our peoples. And that's why I'm here."
Loki nodded thoughtfully, and was about to inquire further when Hogun's head jerked up and he rose to face the doorway. A second later, Loki heard the footsteps running down the corridor. They all met Sam Witwicky in the hallway, boiling out of the war room to hear the news.
"It worked!" the human yelled. He was covered with mud, holding one arm close to his side, and had a spectacular bruise covering one side of his face. He'd come from a battlefield and it showed. "It worked, they got the extra reinforcements sent in from Asgard! No sign of Thor!"
Loki, Thrym, Youko, and Hogun dashed past Witwicky, making for the large hall that was their entry point into the branches of Yggdrasil. This was earlier than they'd expected, but Loki cursed himself for wasting time with dallying and idle chatter.
Loki heard the weight and cadence of Hogun's stride change behind him as the Svartalfar changed from Aesir to youkai, but paid it no mind. They hit the hall at a full run, passing the yellow Vanir, Bumblebee, where he sat slumped and leaking energon. The crack in space breathed impossible chill into the room, and another Vanir waited impatiently at its edge.
"Slow as a fraggin' Autobot! Move it fleshbags!" the black Vanir roared, red optics blazing. Mounted on her wolf-demon, Youko shot past them, plunging into the gate ahead of them. Barricade threw himself in after her at a dead sprint.
Hogun pulled up between Loki and Thrym, black and red fur covering his solid bulk, snout somewhat like a wolf's, and teeth impressive enough to make any Aesir warrior think twice. Here was Hogun's true form. "ON!" Hogun called, his voice echoing in their heads, and Thrym caught hold of Hogun's pelt, mounting in mid-stride. Another beast who could have been Hogun's double matched Loki's speed. Hyouki, Hogun's brother. Loki didn't have to be told, digging hands deep into the black fur as he launched himself up onto the demon's back.
The two demons plunged through the crack in reality, wickedly hooked claws digging deep for purchase as they sprinted over Yggdrasil's branches. The demons navigated with a sure sense of direction, tracking the Bifrost's signature back to Asgard. Fearlessly they leaped from branch to branch, something even Loki would balk at. Youko and the Vanir, Barricade, were pulling away, outpacing Loki and Thrym as planned.
The journey seemed interminable, and Loki put his head down, eyes closed, to center himself. It was all or nothing now. They would succeed, or be doomed utterly.
In a pulse of light they appeared in the Bifrost chamber and Loki dismounted. Sounds of battle reached them from outside. The Svartalfar king and the Vanir were keeping Heimdall busy, drawing him away from the chamber. Loki looked out, gauging how far away the battle was.
After a moment he nodded at Thrym, Hogun, and Hyouki. The three nodded back and Thrym wrapped his legs securely around Hogun's middle as the demons flitted out of the chamber and down around to the underside of the crystal pier. Running along underneath the connecting pier, the two demons and Thrym made for Asgard proper with all speed.
Everything was going well so far, but now came the hard part. With the Bifrost, the Aesir armies were simply too mobile, and the rebellion couldn't hope to match them for sheer moving power, even if they had the forces to move.
And so, the bulk of the remaining Jotuns and as many Svartalfar warriors as could be gathered had engaged in a campaign of misdirection and illusion. Loki's plan being to trick the Aesir and Alfar into thinking they faced a superior force on Svartalfheim. Earlier today, a false offensive had gone into action. It was suicidal to pledge all their strength in a single offensive, holding nothing back. But Thor had no way of knowing that it was their entire force, and the Jotuns' natural magicks would obscure Heimdall's sight enough that the guardian would have no way of getting an accurate count.
Faced with a sudden attack by a force that seemed large enough to be a serious threat, Loki had predicted that Thor, never one to do anything by halves, would send all Asgard's remaining strength to Svartalfheim to squash the opposition. He'd been right.
Thrym's suggestion, too, had been a good one. With Asgard left all but undefended, and Hogun's speed and knowledge of the palace's secret ways, Thrym would have the best opportunity he'd ever get to try it. The success of Thrym's plan was up to him and Hogun, but Loki couldn't spare any worry for his husband.
With Youko and the Vanir drawing Heimdall away from the Bifrost chamber, Loki would have his chance. There was nothing Loki possessed that could destroy the Bifrost, but he knew someone who did. Thor.
Heimdall was almost out of sight now, far down at the very gates leading onto the pier where it started out over the water.
It was time. Loki pulled his helmet out of thin air and settled it over his head, its horns rearing up and back in a graceful curve. Next, he closed his eyes and called Gungnir to him. His father's spear felt heavy and solid in his hand. His hand tightened around the spear, and he took a deep breath.
Loki stepped out of the Bifrost chamber onto the crystal pier. Gungnir struck the crystal with a deep, solemn knell.
"Thor!" Loki called, face upturned towards Asgard. "Brother! I am here!"
